Summer Time

What do you folks do differently in summer since there is more time available for kids? Do you just increase drill times or enroll in camps? I read about Nike Junior camp at Emory in Atlanta but did not hear any reviews. I was thinking if I should try a new camp for my kids so they meet different kids and get exposure to new environments or just stick with their current coach who has a small camp but increase their court time? My kids are aged 8 and 11.5.
I would like to maximize tennis time in summer but need your advise on a good structure and plan. Thanks

What do you folks do differently in summer since there is more time available for kids? Do you just increase drill times or enroll in camps? I read about Nike Junior camp at Emory in Atlanta but did not hear any reviews. I was thinking if I should try a new camp for my kids so they meet different kids and get exposure to new environments or just stick with their current coach who has a small camp but increase their court time? My kids are aged 8 and 11.5.
I would like to maximize tennis time in summer but need your advise on a good structure and plan. Thanks

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I'm not sure how good those Nike camps are. All of the kids that I know who have gone are not very good or serious players.

The Nike Camps in our area are certainly more recreational than an academy camp and are pretty big groups of kids. It can vary by location, but it seems they tend to be more about games, balloons, and fun so it depends on what you are looking for. The level of the player isn't typically your USTA tournament kid, it's just a happy week of tennis. I believe they are more about raising enthusiasm than level which is ok for some kids, not for others. Check academy camps as well, but ask about quantity and levels of kids. I know the one we are affiliated with tends to draw in a lower level over the summer than the rest of the year to the full day/week camps, which may or may not be a good fit for your kids. The clinics however remain strong as top players are training hard. I believe summer is a great time to grow a player's game, and frequently they ride that growth through the school year so you are doing right by thinking it out now.

Make sure whatever you do is fun and safe. In my day Nike was not an accredited camp- check out what that means. Our best way to improve was to find better players- hs, college, local pros- to play one on one sets with. Ask better player to talk to youngster- what he could have done better etc. If you have the right hitting partners it works well.

Some Nike junior camps have weeks for ranked players. You may want to look into that. From pure tennis training perspective if you trust your coach his camp will be the best option. May not be the most fun option. When my daughter started playing tennis for the first summer she stayed with her coach for eight weeks. This was pretty boring but she learned how to serve. Nike camp and other good stuff came later. Fun is when you can actually play (and win). Summer is the time to load up on tennis for the kid in regular school.

A lot of the camps have lower ranked players. Players that are ranked 80 and below in the state. I guess you have to pick carefully. Our club does 10:30-1:00 and 2:30-5:00 for three weeks and then 10:30-1:00 for three weeks.

Our section paid my daughter's way to the local Nike camp. It was a total waste (one day they played basketball . I pulled her out after the first day, had we been paying I would have demanded my money back.

If you go with an Academy camp make sure your kid is not placed into one of their lower groups, meaning only kids who come for summer train in that group and nobody cares about how good or bad they are. That is a waste of your money and time. Make sure to ask which group their full time or afternoon year round players play and insist to place your child in those groups. They might do an evaluation, but don't be intimidated, they want your money.